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My easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is the holiday side dish you need! Made with whipped sweet potatoes, brown sugar pecan topping, and no marshmallows, this is the best sweet potato casserole recipe with so much flavor. Easy prep using just a handful of ingredients!
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Best Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
I love holiday food, don't you? As stressful as cooking for the holidays can be, it doesn't have to be. One of my favorite stress-free recipes to make for the holidays is my sweet potato casserole recipe.
It uses a brown sugar and pecans topping that really amplifies the flavor of the sweet potatoes, with a greater depth of flavor than a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows.
My family loves this dish. I serve it as a Thanksgiving side dish every year, and there are never any leftovers. It's so popular, I make extra to store in the fridge just so there is some to enjoy later.
Give it a try, and I bet you'll feel the same way. It's the perfect blend of creamy, crunchy, and sweet. You can even easily make it gluten-free if you desire.
FAQs
You can prep sweet potatoes ahead of time by baking and whipping them before you plan to make the casserole. Allow them to cool, then mash according to the instructions and store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered casserole dish. When ready to use, take them out and continue the steps as instructed. 
To thicken sweet potato casserole, you can mash to a coarser consistency or add a thickener such as one to two tablespoons of flour before baking. Using eggs, you should not have to add flour to thicken the casserole.
Sweet potato casserole is done when the top is lightly browned and the center of the casserole is somewhat firm. This takes about 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F.
Bake sweet potatoes for best results. Baked sweet potatoes have more flavor than boiled.
Serve sweet potato casserole for roasted turkey or ham over the holidays. It is the best pairing with other holiday side dish recipes, especially green bean casserole and stuffing.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can store in the original casserole dish by tightly covering the dish with plastic or aluminum foil. Alternatively, freeze as instructed below.
Freeze sweet potato casserole by baking and mashing the potatoes as instructed, then allowing them to cool in a freezer-safe casserole dish. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Label with the freezing date. When ready to use, remove from the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and prepare the pecan topping. Bake as if fresh.
Reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes, or reheat individual portions in the microwave by heating in 30 second to 1 minute intervals until completely heated through.
Gluten-Free Instructions
To make gluten-free sweet potato casserole, leave out the all-purpose flour from the pecan topping and instead use a gluten-free flour alternative. No other ingredients in this dish contain gluten!
Vegan Instructions
To make vegan sweet potato casserole, replace the butter and milk with vegan butter and non-dairy milk such as oat milk.
Omit the eggs and instead use store-bought vegan egg substitute or flaxseed eggs. You can make flaxseed eggs by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water and thickening in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
I tried it! It was my favorite dish for the holiday meals!!
Lisa on Pinterest
Had it for Thanksgiving dinner it was very very good
Genie on Pinterest
I made this. Deeeeelicious!!
Cherica on Pinterest
Love it! ❤️ Going to make more! It was delicious
Lindsey on Pinterest
Best Thanksgiving Recipes
Try serving my easy sweet potato casserole with pecans with one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, such as:
- Instant Pot Ham
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans (Gluten-Free)
- Yorkshire Pudding
- Best Thanksgiving Turkey
- Easy Scalloped Potatoes
Try something different for the holidays this year with our Cream Cheese Garlic Bread!
Did you try this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and leave a rating! We love to hear from you.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
Equipment
- 9 by 9-inch baking dish
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Wooden spoon
- Fork
Ingredients
- 4-5 large sweet potatoes
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 stick butter melted
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Pecan Topping
- ½ stick butter melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potatoes several times all over with a fork, then place on a baking sheet. Bake 60 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.Once cool enough to handle, peel and add to a large mixing bowl. Whip using an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy to create 4 cups or so of whipped sweet potatoes. For a coarser consistency, or if you do not have an electric mixer, use a potato masher or fork to mash the potatoes.4-5 large sweet potatoes
- Add sugar, eggs, butter, evaporated milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to the potatoes, then mix well to combine.1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 stick butter, ½ cup evaporated milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Spread sweet potato mixture evenly in a 9 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Add butter, brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans to a bowl. Mix well, then spread evenly over top the potatoes. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until heated through.½ stick butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup pecans
Notes
- Make up to 3 days ahead of time by baking and mixing the sweet potato mixture, then storing in a plastic-wrapped casserole dish until the day you're ready to bake. Prepare the pecan topping, then bake as instructed.
- Freeze for up to 3 months by preparing the potatoes as instructed, then storing in a freezer-safe casserole dish tightly wrapped with plastic and foil and labeled with the freezing date. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then prepare the pecan topping and bake as instructed.
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